Bicycle water bottle racks, commonly referred to as bottle cages, are typically made from a rod or heavy wire metal material bent into shape similar to that shown in the drawings. This shape permits a properly sized plastic bottle could be frictionally forced into the rack or cage while the rack is attached to a bicycle either by deforming slightly the wire rack, by deforming the bottle, or both.
Of course insulated containers are not new. For example, see U.S. Pat. No. 3,472,568 to Southwick which shows an insulated container for a bottle. U.S. Pat. No. 4,193,525 to Sommers shows an insulated container connected to a bicycle for receiving beverage containers, such as soft drink cans for keeping them cold.
Bicycle water bottle cages have become standardized to accept a 20-ounce standard shaped bottle. One manufacturer of such equipment offers a neoprene cover that fits over a standard shaped water bottle and this manufacturer contends that the bottle and insulated cover will still both fit into a standard bottle cage. There is a question, however, whether there can be both adequate insulation and freedom to get such insulated bottle easily into and out of a standard water bottle cage.
Consequently, there exists a need for an improved insulated bottle rack apparatus for bicycles.